This disclosure relates to adjustable shims, washers, seals, grommets, spacers, gaskets and the like, for use in devices such as machinery and automobiles that are assembled from multiple parts, wherein the parts are to be kept at fixed spacings, or maintained in relative alignments and/or positions with respect to one another.
With the passage of time, the various parts of a machine or a vehicle can start to become loose due to vibration. In addition to potentially negatively affecting machine/vehicle performance, this often results in chattering and other undesirable noises. In addition, with the passage of time, adjacent surfaces that are designed to be flush with one another can become misaligned. Misaligned surfaces are often aesthetically unpleasing. These changes in performance and increases in vibration and/or misalignment are generally brought about by seals and/or washers that are under elongational, compressive or shear stresses and which undergo deformation (i.e., a permanent set) with the passage of time. A permanent set occurs when the seal and/or washer begins to undergo plastic deformation. In order to reduce or correct this vibration and/or mis-alignment, it is often desirable to replace the seals, washers, springs, or the like, with new components. Such replacements are expensive, time consuming and occasionally tedious. It is therefore desirable to correct for such permanent sets by means that do not involve replacement of the washers, seals, springs, or the like.